I ’m about to go hands on withCrimson Desert , an upcomingopen - worldaction game from developer Pearl Abyss . Before I begin , I ’m shown a five - minute television explain the ins and outs of its controls . Just to verify I realise what I ’m about to take the air into , I ask if it ’s more of a quality action at law plot or a Soulslike .
I ’m secern to think of it more likeStreet Fighter .
That advice seems bizarre considering that it looks like your typical sword and shield fantasy game . It ’s only once I clean up a controller that I altogether understand the tip . Crimson Desertisn’t about learning the rhythm method of a boss ’ attack pattern and carefully waiting for an opening . I ’m the conductor and I have a symphony of attack at my disposal .
Kitchen sink combat
Pearl Abyss sets a luck of expectations for me during my demo , and it ’s easy to see why . If you ’re the variety of person who conceive they can describe a game ’s literary genre at a glimpse , Crimson Desertmight hurl you for a grommet . Though it may look a bit likeDragon ’s Dogma 2 , the team try that it ’s not an RPG . It ’s more so a traditional undetermined - universe action - adventure game with a set hero , a liberal narrative focus , and ultra - firm real - time scrap . As familiar as it may look , Crimson Desertis its own unequaled beast .
The team does n’t go into the specific on how it wreak on a handsome - film level . Instead , it ’s focused on selling the secret plan ’s armed combat with three genus Bos encounters . One of those includes its new discover foes , Hexe Marie . Before I can take on a fight , though , I need to get a armed combat tutorial — and there ’s a lot to teach .
The demo build give me accession to a wealth of abilities earlier than I ’d have them in the full secret plan . At first it seems simple . There ’s a heavy attack , a light one , and guarding . I could roll away from enemies , but I ’d need to keep an eye on my stamina . Then things get more complex . I have a bow that I can dismiss and unlike elemental ammo , like chicken feed and explosive shots . I can even slow metre while firing , just as I can inHorizon Zero Dawn . Oh , I can also spend mana to launch myself sky high to fire at enemy from above . And I can give up opposition . And I can hit them with Randy Orton ’s RKO . And I can palm strike them . And I can press all these different buttons together to activate completely dissimilar skills that are more effective against unlike foe types .
It ’s a passel .
It all sounds overwhelming at first , but I ’m surprise by how much all those ideas click together once I fight my first boss , a comparably sized human enemy who is especially susceptible to wrestling moves . The fight leave a lot of room for creativity as I chain together different science to broaden my attack program . It ’s not quite the ultra - liquid button - mashing of Devil May Cry ; everything is more careful , like a fighting game . It ’s all about execute my button presses at the correct moment and pushing the momentum when I can .
There ’s a great deal of room for creativeness in that scheme . In another combat , I got up against the Staglord , a larger enemy that I ca n’t manhandle like my previous foe . His specialty is institutionalise into me , pick apart my body flat into paries with a slapstick splat . As he lam at me , I get the wild idea to seek to jump over a charge . I plunge in the air , alternating joystick pressing to get more air and totally avoid his rush . That give me an opening to evoke an explosive arrow down at him . bit like that makeCrimson Desert ’s combat sense especial .
Things get even more feverish when taking on Hexe Marie , a humanoid crow queen capable of marshal a swarm of monster that leave explosives behind when slain . It ’s a visually spectacular fight , as purple molecule force explode across the screen door as I cut through minions and test to cut a path to Marie . once in a while , a quick - time issue is thrown in that gives the struggle a more unstable , cinematic feeling . It ’s a thrill , but overstimulating in moment too . There ’s a spate of visual pizzaz happening on screen during a boss battle , and it can be challenging to study everything while render to juggle complex controls that lend the profundity of an MMO to a gamepad . Expect a second of a learning curve ball .
Though it ’s a completely different kind of action game , Crimson DesertcallsStellar Bladeto judgment . That game had a likewise maximalist approaching to fight , stream on the system and sporty visuals thick . That made for an exciting megahit that resonated with sports fan . Crimson Desertalmost aim that idea to the next level , give player even more pick to toy with . It ’s pure natural action plot improv .
Crimson Desertlaunches in later 2025 for PS5 , Xbox Series X / S , and microcomputer .
